Improvement in car-trucks



T. K. BIRGESS.

n. Br-Trucks.

N0.l51,267. Patented May 25,1874.

jay. 3

NVENTDR.

THOMAS K. BIRGESS, OF NEVARK, NEIV JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-TRUCKS.

Specification forming part oi Letters Patent ANO. 151,267, daCd M25' 2G,1574; appliOl'l fllCd January 13, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS K. Bmenss, ot' the city of Newark, in thecounty of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements inA (lar- Truoks; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichform part of this specifica-tion.

rlhe nature of my invention relates to an improvement in car-trucks; andit consists in providing each wheel with separate and independent axlesand journal-boxes, so that the wheels in turning curves can rockslightly to one side or the other. It also consists in theequaliZing-bars placed upon each side of the wheels, so as to equalizethe weight upon the truck. It also consists in the arrangement andcombination of devices, which will be more fully described hereafter.

Figure l is a side elevation of my truck. Fig. 2 is an end view of thesame. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail views of the same.

a represents an ordinary truck-frame, which is supported upon the wheelsa. From each side ofthe frame, near the end, there are two hangers orpedestals, b, each one of which has four prongs, which extend down uponeach side of the wheel, as shown in Fig. 2. rIhe lower ends of theseprongs are connected together by the angle-rods e, closing the openingbetween the ends of the prongs, and which form bearings for the boxes c.Each of the wheels is provided with a short axle, z', without shoulders,which project from each side, and have their hubs, k, so formed as tobear against the sides of the boxes, o, placed upon each side. Theseboxes, while the car is upon a straight track, serve to keep the wheelsin a vertical position; but as soon as the wheels strike a curve in theroad, theboxes allow them to tip slightly to one side, owing to theshort axles and the spring above them, as shown in dotted lines, so asto prevent the great strain and wear that takes place upon both rail andwheels when the wheels are rigid The anglerods e, which support theboxes, are connected together by the braces g, so as to be held rigidlyin position 5 and in between hangers, b, at each end are placed thediagonal braces h, which serve to keep the wheels always at a uniformgage. The boxes c, which are supported between the prongs of thehangers, are made in two parts-the oil-chamber Z and cover m. rllheunder side of the cover is recessed, so as to receive the curved platen, and has also a groove cut in its under side, which runs at a rightangle with the axle, and in which rests the wick o, which feeds the axlewith oil from the chamber below, through the opening in the plate a. Theplate n also has a groove, 2, cnt in its under side, which runs parallelwith the axle', as shown in Fig. 5, so as to always retain a quantity ofoil in contact with the axle. rlhe center of the truck-frame rests upona number of coiled or rubber springs, t, which are supported upon theequalizing-bars o. These bars, arranged upon each side of the wheels,have their ends supported upon the top of the blocks 3, which rest uponthe rubber or other springs, cl, placed upon the tops of the boxes c.

By this arrangement of bars and springs any weight placed upon any partofthe frame is distributed as evenly as possible over the whole truck,and the boxes are allowed to play upward and downward to a slightdegree.

I do not claim the use of a single equalizin gbar on each side of thecar, as such an arrangement is not new and will not accomplish theobject I have in view, it being necessary for the proper distribution ofweight to the trucks, and especially for the proper play ot' thejournals, that there should be an equaliz ing-bar on each side ofthewheels..

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. A car-truck having wheelswith independent axles, shouldered at their inner ends only, said axleshaving their bearings in boxes which have a vertical play, so that thewheels can tilt from side to side in passing around curves, all combinedsubstantially as set forth.

2. The boxes c, composed of. the chamber Z and cover m, having a recessin its under side to receive the perforated grooved plate fn, and agroove to hold the wick o, substantially as shown.

3. The pronged hangers I) and angle-bars e, combined as set forth, tosupport the boxes c, substantially as specified.

4. The boxes c, springs d, and the equalizing -bars v, arranged on eachside of the Wheels7 in combination With the short axles i, substantiallyas described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this7 th day of January, 1874:.

' THOMAS K. BIRGESS. vitnesses OLIVER DRAKE, DAVID COLLINS.

